After days of pressure, the threat of a gas supply cut off for Europe is finally receding in the short term. After several exchanges between Vladimir Putin and the German Chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister this Wednesday, March 30, the Russian President confirms: payment for gas and other raw materials remains an objective for Russia, but not immediately.
With our correspondent in Moscow, Anissa El Jabri
Russian gas against euros. The rule will be respected. In the short term anyway. But beware, this is not a retreat of the Kremlin. Simply, the Russian president said it to the German chancellor, discussions must be opened on the change of the modes of payment.
Many experts wonder how already signed contracts could be changed. Above all, the Kremlin has finally explained the reason for its approach: the freezing of the Central Bank’s foreign exchange reserves by the Europeans, ” a violation of international law he said. ” flight “, said the head of Russian diplomacy a few days ago.
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Gas against Russian rubles, the objective is therefore first to find a way to circumvent the sanctions. The pressure is such today on the national currency that now the course of the ruble against the euro and the dollar is decided the day before for the next day by the central bank. In the medium term, Russia is seeking, on the monetary level as elsewhere, to strengthen its independence from the West.
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